The present invention is an improvement to the rain disperser system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3, 939,616 entitled "Rain Water Run-Off Disperser" issued on Feb. 24, 1976, to Richard L. Schapker. The disclosure of the patent is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the present application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,616 discloses a novel system for dispersing run-off rain water from a roof. This system effectively eliminates the need to install conventional rain gutters. As discussed in the patent, rain gutters are generally expensive to install, and leaves or other waste material are susceptible to accumulate in conventional rain gutters. However, the failure to provide rain gutters or otherwise control run-off water from a roof will have a damaging and corrosive effect on the terrain below the roof as a result of the high velocity and repetive impact of unimpeded run-off water. The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,616 provides an assembly which eliminates the need for conventional rain gutters yet avoids the harmful effect of unimpeded run-off water on the terrain directly below the roof.
The preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed by the aforementioned patent is illustrated in FIG. 9 thereof. The rain disperser assembly includes a plurality of plate-like members extending in a longitudinal direction (parallel to the edge of the roof) and are maintained in a predetermined spaced apart parallel relationship, at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal, by a plurality of transversely oriented spacer elements. The assembly including the plate-like members and transverse spacers is mounted proximate to the edge of a roof by suitable bracket means. The spacer elements include a plurality of inclined surfaces adapted to support a corresponding number of parallel plate-like members at a predetermined angle. The plate-like members are mounted to the inclined surfaces of the spacer elements by bonding, by resistance or ultrasonic welding means, or other means such as epoxy, as is more fully disclosed in the discussion of FIG. 10 of the patent. However, in practice, it has been found that the spacer elements disclosed in the patent, and the means for bonding them to the plate-like members, have not been totally effective.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved spacer element which assures that the spacer element will be securely and permanently mounted to the assembly to maintain the plate-like members in their permanent spaced apart parallel relationship.